The Disadvantages of Cable TV

by Chad Hagy

Cable TV is one of the predominant ways Americans receive the shows they want to watch in the comfort of their own living room. With recent advancements such DVRs, digital cable and pay-per-view capabilities, cable TV has become more popular in recent years. However, there are some disadvantages of cable TV that some do not think about when signing up for the service.

Package Deals

Cable TV companies offer package deals in which you can have your cable TV service, phone service and Internet service through the same company. This means you can pay for everything on one bill. However, if you are late paying your bill or if there is an interruption in the company's service, all three of these services are likely to go out as a result.

Cost

When compared to the cost of other types of TV service, like satellite TV, cable tends to be more expensive. This is especially true if you want channel packages that include premium movie channels like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax and others.

Less Variety

Cable TV companies generally do not offer the variety of channels that other types of providers offer. With satellite TV, for example, people living on the West Coast can watch events live when they are only broadcast live on the East Coast. This is because satellite offers both West Coast and East Coast channels which cable TV does not offer.

Lower Quality

According to a recent article on MSNBC.com, some cable TV customers complain about the quality of their high-definition programming. Many of these customers own expensive LCD or plasma TVs which are designed for viewing TV programs filmed in high-definition. Unfortunately, according to the article, cable TV companies try to pack too many HD channels into their limited bandwidth, and this reduces the quality. The reason they do this is because the companies are not paying for structural upgrades that can handle the increased signal. As a result, the signal gets too compressed and damages the crystal-clear quality that high-definition is supposed to provide.

References

About the Author

Chad Hagy is based in southern California and he has been a full-time freelance writer since 2006. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English with a specialization in writing from the University of Michigan and his articles have been published on several prominent websites including eHow and others.